Stam named as new Reading manager on two-year deal

(Reuters) - The former Manchester United and Netherlands defender Jaap Stam is the new manager of English Championship side Reading, the club confirmed on Monday.

The 43-year-old moves from Ajax, where he worked as a coach, to become Reading's first non-British manager. He succeeds Brian McDermott, who was sacked last month after the club finished 17th in England's second tier.

Stam signed a two-year deal with the Berkshire club after consulting his fellow countrymen Guus Hiddink and Ronald Koeman, who both managed in the Premier League this season, about the move.

"I spoke to Koeman and Hiddink about the job," said Stam. "It's important to talk to different people. I asked them what you need to know. You need to use the advice you get. We're going to talk to the squad after the press conference and see what we need to do."

Stam spent three years playing in England with Manchester United before joining Lazio and then AC Milan. He said his target with Reading was to return to the Premier League from which they were relegated in 2013.

"Reading are very ambitious, they want to go to the PL and hopefully we can get there with a good partnership," Stam said.

"I am very ambitious. It's not going to be easy to get back to the Premier league. We are going to work our best."